North Korea tests AI-enabled medium-range missile, experts cite possible Russian aid

North Korea conducted a test of a medium-range ballistic missile that incorporates artificial intelligence to modify its flight path at low altitude, as stated by Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the country's leader. The launch originated from the eastern coastline and covered a distance exceeding 700 kilometres before reaching a maritime target, according to South Korean military observations. Kim Yo-jong emphasized that the AI capability renders the missile hard to evade and asserted that no other nation will possess similar technology for many years.

Analysts from the Korea Institute for Military Affairs noted that Russian support could be accelerating North Korea's missile development in return for sending troops to the Ukraine conflict. The South Korean presidential office called an urgent National Security Council meeting, heightened surveillance of possible further launches, and pledged to exchange intelligence with the United States and Japan. The test follows heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with recent incidents involving mines in the Demilitarized Zone that injured South Korean soldiers.